1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a swimming pool brush. More particularly, it relates to a swimming pool brush that includes a hydrofoil to enhance the pressure of the brush against the sidewalls of a swimming pool.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Manual tools for brushing the sidewalls of a swimming pool include an elongate pole having a brush releasably secured to a leading end of the pole. The tool is used by grasping the elongate pole away from the leading end and moving the pole up and down so that the brush bears against the sidewall. It is important to apply pressure to the brush to enhance its cleaning effect. The pressure is applied by pushing out on the upper or trailing end of the pole with a first hand while pulling the pole in towards the sidewall with a second hand at a location between the leading and trailing ends. The second hand thus defines a fulcrum where leverage is applied to the brush.
There are several patents disclosing plates attached to a swimming pool brush that increase the pressure of the brush against a swimming pool sidewall so that a user need not exert extra energy to increase such pressure. In some of the prior art patents, the plate is fixedly secured to the brush head and has utility in causing water to push the brush in the direction of the sidewall during a down stroke, thereby increasing the pressure on the brush as desired.
A major drawback of such plates is a vacuum created on the trailing side of the plate as the brush is pushed downwardly. Water flowing upwardly around the edge of the plate creates a venturi effect low pressure area on the trailing side of the plate, thereby lifting the plate away from the sidewall and thus reducing the pressure of the brush against the sidewall. There are no known disclosures of a brush head that minimizes the venturi effect.
Prior art brushes must be discarded when worn down. Thus there is a need for a brush that can still be used even after it would be considered worn out by conventional standards.
The prior art, however, does not disclose brushes that can be re-used even when apparently worn down.
There is a need for an improved swimming pool brush having a hydrofoil that increases the pressure of a brush head against a swimming pool sidewall during a downstroke while simultaneously minimizing the pressure-reducing effects created on the trailing side of the hydrofoil.
A need exists as well for a brush head that wears out on a first side thereof and which is reversibly mounted so that a second side thereof can be used when the first side is worn down.
However, in view of the prior art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in this art how the needed brush assembly could be provided.